chemistry

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How does an X-ray work?
X-rays are electromagnetic waves that are like light. They can penetrate materials with masses to different levels. When the x-rays hit the film, it creates an image which shows it like a light would. Since bone, fat, muscle, tumors and other structures all absorb x-rays at different levels, the image on the film lets you see different distinct structures inside the body. This is because of the various levels of exposure on the film.

What is radioactivity? What is radiation?
Unstable atomic nuclei will suddening begin to decompose to form a nuclei with a higher stability. This decomposition process is called radioactivity. The energy and particles which are released durig the decomposition process are called radiation. When an unstable nuclei decomposes in nature, the process is referred to as natural radioactivity. When an unstable nuclei is prepared in the laboratory the decomposition is called induced radioactivity.

How the film captures the picture?
The x-ray machine has 3 main components to it. The componets are a vaccum tube which has a cathode and an anode which are most often made of the element tungsten. The cathode is a heated filament. When the electric current passes through the filament the temperture goes up extremely. When it reaches a very high temperture the filament begins releasing negatively charged electrons from the surface. Then the positively charged tungsten anode component of the x-ray attracts these electrons with a large force, pulling them through the vacuum tube at a high speed. When an electron collides with a tungsten atom, an electron in one of the atom’s lower orbitals gets knocked away. Then after an electron from a higher orbital takes the place of the removed elect...

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...taminants are on the skin for a long peroid of time it can cause skin injuries.

The third type of radiation is gamma radiation. Gamma radiation and X-rays are part of the electromagnetic radiation like visible light, radio waves, and ultraviolet light. These electromagnetic radiations differ by the amount of energy's they have. Gamma radiation can penerate through most materials including skin, it can travel very deep in human tissues as well. Gamma radiation has abosolutly no mass and is able to travle in the speed of light. It is very fast and very strong. When radioactive materials release gamma radiation it can be both externally and internally hazards for humans.

That is why many preganant women do not take a lot of X-rays. It can be harmful for the fetus inside. The radiation that comes from these rays can cause abnormalities and other defects later in life.

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